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Happy late Independence Day to all my fishing friends. What a great weekend here on the island — good friends, good families and some dang good fishing. Kinda sums up how our island takes care of a holiday weekend.

A common misconception of Buddhism is that of denying earthly desires and that to practice Buddhism, one must live an austere life by giving up possessions and spending a lot of time meditating. While that may be true of some sects of Buddhists, it is not of Mahayana Buddhists. Followers of Nicherin Daishonin fall into this group.

In my first column for the Cedar Key Beacon I wrote that I fell in love with this island within 15 minutes of arriving here last year on a birthday trip. I know you're supposed to be happy when you're on vacation. But, it was more than a vacation glow. The longer I stayed-and the more often I returned-the more I felt as if I had come home.

That statement seems crazy because I was born and raised in New York City. But, what I was experiencing was a very different kind of homecoming. It was a return to the heart.

It’s that time of year again to enjoy Cedar Key’s art festival, celebrating its 47th year. This year however, there will be a new approach. The Energy Advisory Panel and festival organizers shared the same vision and commitment to make this year’s festival a sustainable event. A sustainable event conserves and restores resources, honors and supports those involved, adds value to the local economy and educates participants about the benefits of sustainability.

What would you find if you examined a typical landfill? Plastic packaging, diapers, old furniture, carpets, shoes, paper, food waste and computers. The list goes on and on. Billions of dollars’ worth of material assets were used to make most of these products.

As we all know, transitions are never easy and that holds
true for Cedar Key’s efforts towards a more sustainable
future. But let’s look at some numbers that might give us
some encouragement:
Now that we know that our community efforts have nearly
doubled our recycling, let’s look at how we got there,
problems that ensued and solutions that help us address these
problems.
EDUCATION
Community informational meetings were held the last

When you’re strolling the Seafood Festival this weekend
don’t be surprised if you’re approached by one of “The
Recyclables”, a recycled costume creation by local artist and
Energy Advisory Panel member, Connie Nelson. “The
Recyclables” in conjunction with the Cedar Key School are
again working towards the goal of asking as many American
citizens as possible to renew for the coming year their personal
commitment to protect the environment by signing a